Blu-ray

The Master

Anton van Beek  |  Apr 17, 2013

Paul Thomas Anderson indulges in a spot of cinematic smoke and mirrors

It's hard to know what exactly to make of Paul Thomas Anderson's latest film. On the surface it's a simple tale about a WWII Navy veteran who gets involved with the charismatic leader of a religious movement known as 'The Cause'. But Anderson's oblique storytelling renders The Master so open to interpretation that it's either a brave experiment in movie-making techniques or he's trying to dupe us with the cinematic equivalent of The Emperor's New Clothes.

One thing we can say with any certainty is that the film looks astonishing on Blu-ray thanks to the AVC 1.85:1 encode's peerless handling of the film's native 65mm photography. And while the selection of bonus features is pretty modest, there is one absolute gem included - Let There be Light, John Huston's feature-length 1946 documentary about World War II veterans, which Anderson cites as the inspiration behind his film.

Entertainment in Video, Region B BD, £25 Approx, On sale now
HCC VERDICT: 3.5/5

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